Spent-weft cutter.



A; E. STAFFORD.

SPENT WEFT CUTTER.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 1. 1917.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. E. STAFFORD.

SPENT WEFT CUTTER. APPLICATION men NOV. 7. 1917.

Patented Jan. 14,1919.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2 A. E. STAFFORD.

SPENTWEFT CUTTER. APPLICATION men NOV-7.1917.

Patsnted Jan. 14,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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tle being moved by the feeler farther into,

FRED

. TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STAFFORD, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO DRAPER CORPO- B TION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SPENT-WEFT CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 145, 1919.

Application filed November 7, 1917. Serial No. 200,786.

Spent-Weft Cutters, of which the following is a specification.-

Inautomatic weft replenishing looms of the well known Northrop type wherein a spent weft carrier is automatically discharged from the working shuttle and is replaced by a filled weft carrier, it has long been customary to provide a shuttle feeler which comes in contact with the shuttle in case it is not inserted fully within the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom, and this shuttle feeler has been operatively connected with the transfer mechanism so as to prevent the action thereof in the event that the shuttle is not in proper position. Such a shuttle feeler is set forth, for example, in United States Letters Patent of Northrop, No. 529,943, November 27, 1894. In such looms it has long been customary to provide a detector which detects the approaching exhaustion of the weft and which cooperates with the transfer mechanism to discharge the nearly spent weft carrier before the weft completely runs out thus enabling cloth to be woven without any absent or partial picks, such a mechanism being illustrated, for example, in United States Letters Patent of Northrop No.

600,016, March 1, 1898. In such a feeler loom it is important that the strand of weft extending from the warp to the nearly spent weft carrier in the box at the replenishing side of the loom should be out before the change of weft carriers is completed and, for this purpose, it has been customary to apply a spent weft cutter to the shuttle feeler together with provisions for actuating the cutter during the proper interval in the operation of the loom. Such a spent weft cutter is illustrated, for example, in United States Letters Patent of Draper, No. 683,423, September 24, 1901.

It occasionally happens in the operation of looms so equipped that the shuttle feeler will encounter the shuttle so as to prevent the action of the weft replenishing instrumentalities but will immediately thereafter come free of the shuttle, either by the shutthe shuttle box or by the feeler itself riding off from the point of the shuttle. In such event it sometimes occurs that the cutter will act to part the thread and, as no replenishing of weft takes place, a partial mis-pick is left in the cloth.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanism to prevent this premature action of the weft cutter in the event that the transfer mechanism is not brought into action.

The improvement is illustrated in the-accompanying drawings which illustrate so much of the loom as is necessary for the understanding thereof. Inthe drawings Figure 1, is a plan view of a portion of the loom at the replenishing side. Fig. 2, is a vertical cross section in the plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a detail view illustrating the shuttle feeler in contact with the "tip of the shuttle. Fig. 4, is another detail View showing a different position of the shuttle feeler.

Many Well known features of the loom are indicated in the drawings by numerals. The shuttle feeler 10, is pivoted at 11 (Fig. 3'), to a fixed part of the loom as usual. Normally it stands in its forward idle position and when the transferring action is initiated by the detector it swings rearwardly toward the then approaching lay 12, and, if theshuttle 13, is then not fully boxed within the shuttle box 14, at the replenishing side of the loom, the feeler encounters the shuttle as indicated in Fig. 3. The mechanism for actuating the feeler 10, is not illustrated because now so well known. Appropriate mechanism for this purpose is illustrated in the aforesaid Draper Patent No. 683,423. As is customary the shuttle feeler is given a sidewise shogging movement during its swing by the cam 15. The action of the transfer 16 (Fig. 2),

is under the control of the shuttle feeler which has a laterally extending arm 1? (Fig.1), which is provided with a cam slot 18, into which projects a pin 19, on the transferrer dog 20, pivoted at 21, to the transferrer 16. In case the shuttle completely boxes and is in proper position for the transfer, theshuttle feeler swings rearwardly to its full extent and the transferrer dog 20, is lifted high enough to be in the path of the hunter 22,.on the forwardly moving lay, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the lay completes its advance the transferrer 16, descends driving the lowermost bobbin 23, in the supply magazine 24, into the shuttle and displacing and driving downwardly out of'the shuttle the nearly spent bobbin 25. In case, however, the rearward movement of the feeler 10, is stopped by the shuttle when incompletely boxed the shuttle feeler encounters the shuttle as shown in Fig. 3, and the transferrer dog20, is not lifted high enough to be encountered by the bunter 22, and hence no transfer of weft carriers can take place.

The shuttle feeler is shown as equipped with a spent weft cutter of usual character, comprising a movable shear or cutter blade 26 (Fig. 3). As the shuttle feelerswings rearwardly the cutter blade 26, is swung to its open position (shown in Fig. 3) by means of its laterally projecting pin 27 (Fig. 1) encountering the cam face of a spring controlled pivoted opener 28, pivoted at 29, to a fixed bracket 30. This particular cutter blade opener is set forth in United States Letters Patent of Davis, 1,084,878, January 20, 191-1. Hence as the-shutter feeler swings rearwardly its movable cutter blade is opened to receive the strand of weft 31, (see Fig. 3), which extends from the 'warp 3E2, to the shuttle in the box at the replenishing side of the loom, as shown in Fig. 1. The cutter blade 26, is moved to cut this strand of weft during the subsequent completion of the forward movement of the lay so that the nearly spent weft is cut before the transfer of weft is completed. As thus far described, the mechanism is organized and acts in the customary way.

It is important that this cutting should not be prematurely done and hence that it should take place only in the event that the transfer is made. The improved mechanism is so organized that the movable cutter blade 26, performs its cutting stroke only in the event that the transferrer 16, is actuated to make a transfer of weft carriers. This is accomplished by so mounting the cutter actuator A, that it is moved-intoacting position only in the event that the transferrer 16, acts. The cutter actuator A, is adjustably fastened to a holder B, by a screw C. The holder B, is fastened by a set screw D (Fig. 1), to an arm E, which is secured by a bolt F, to the hub G, of .the transferrer 16. The cutter actuator A, is thus rigidly mounted on .and carried by the transferrer and partakes of the movements thereof. In the normal idle position of the transferrer the cutter actuator A, occupies the uplifted position illustrated in Fig. 3.

where it is entirely out of reach of the feeler 10, and its cutter. The movable cutter blade provided with an upwardly extending projection H, which constitutes a shoulder adapted to cooperate with the actuator A. In case the shuttle feeler completes its rearward movement undisturbed by the shuttle, the dog 20, is lifted so as to be encountered by the lay bunter 22, and the transferrer 1b, swings downwardly. Concurrently the cutter actuator A, swings downwardly and into position immediately in front of the cutter blade shoulder H and into the path thereof. Then, when the shuttle feeler moves forwardly during the completion of the forward movement of the lay the shoulder H, encounters the rear end of the lowered actuator A, so that the movable cutter blade is swung downwardly and the strand 31, of weft is cut. Fig. 1, illustrates the position of the shuttle feeler immediately following the cutting movement of the cutter blade under the action of the actuator A. As here shown the shoulder H, of the blade has been moved downwardly so that no portion of it projects above the top edge of the feeler 10, the rear end of the actuator A, riding upon the top edge of the shuttle feeler as said feeler swings forwardly.

-As indicated in Fig. 3, the actuator A, is made of resilient metal so as to accommodate itself to the shuttle feeler. The actuator is stiff longitudinally in the direction of its length so as to resist the stress of the forwardly swinging cutter blade so as to compel it to close, but it yields transversely under the stress of the swinging shuttle feeler; as indicated in Fig. 4.

With this construction it is obvious that the spent weft cutter can act only in the event that the transferrer functions properly. Accordingly, there can be no action of the cutter in the event that the transferrer is not functionally moved. Hence, the occasional cutting of the weft in the contingency heretofore mentioned (namely, in the event that the shuttle feeler encounters the shuttle and prevents the transferring action and then slips past the shuttle so as to bring the cutter into action) can not take place.

I claim 1. An automatic weft replenishing loom having a swinging transferrer which acts to insert a filled weft carrier into the shuttle; a transferrer dog pivoted to the transferrer; a shuttle feeler which swings toward the lay when a change of weft is requisite; a hunter on the lay; connections between the shuttle feeler and the transferrer dog whereby the transferrer dog is lifted into the path of the lay bunter as the shuttle feeler oompletes its movement toward the lay; and a spent weft cutter on the shuttle feeler, said cutter comprising a movable blade with an upwardly projecting shoulder, in combination with a yielding resilient cutter actuator rigidly mounted on the transferrer and swinging therewith which is brought into position in front of the shoulder on the naamaa 1m movable cutter blade to actuate the cutter as it swings forwardly only when the transferrer acts.

2. An automatic weft replenishing loom having a transterrer which acts to insert a filled weft carrier into the shuttle; and a spent weft cutter, in combination with a yielding resilient cutter actuator rigidly] mounted on the transterrer and which is brought into position in the path of the cutter to actuate the cutter as the cutter moves forwardly only when the transferrer acts. i

3. An automatic weft replenishing loom having a transferrer which acts to insert a filled weft carrier into the shuttle and a spent weft cutter which moves forwardly as it cuts, in combination with a. cutter actuator mounted on the transferrer and normally out of the path of the cutter and which, only when the transferrer acts, is brought into position in front of and in the path of the cutter so that as the cutter moves forwardly it encounters the actuator and is moved thereby to out the spent Weft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ALFRED E. STAFFORD. 

